It was for sure an expensive purchase but I never had second thoughts about it after receiving, setup'ing, configuring and using it ever since.

My progression over the years has been CLD-D925 => LD-S9 => HLD-X9 => HLD-X9 + Lumagen and each upgrade has brought better, more stable picture quality (that was the whole point of the upgrade anyway!).

Those who do will not spend a lot of time or use high-end parts for this little-used inputs in today's world.

Half of my gears are outputting analog (Composite, Component).

I only use digital video projectors for display.

I want to be able to use any of my devices in 1K and 4K output.

I want to simplify cabling, jump to digital with as little PQ damage as possible.

I want to remove relying on my main A/V Amp for Audio/Video processing to make it easily replaceable.

Best picture quality available now on the retail market.

Device with upgradable firmware for easy updates.

Coming from a known, respected video processing device maker.

Let's break it down to analysis, conclusions:

I should not wait too long to jump in, otherwise -- like Pioneer spare parts -- they will eventually disappear permanently

Electronics devices have been going down incredibly in price over the years and so are the price of the parts they are using... I used to work for a IC STB makers who lost all business to cheap clones parts... and closed the division. I know that trend well.

I intend to keep them all so I need a set of MULTIPLE analog inputs with independent settings, I don't want a switching box in the way.

I had to plug it in S-Video, Composite, HDMI and use a Component switch box to accommodate them all, I want to simplify the cabling down to HDMI only.

1K for now but eventually I will update to 4K and I don't want to have to upgrade the video processor again.

The box must aggregate all my sources and have at least 2 HDMI out, one for video (projector has no sound), one separate for sound.

This was solved with an OPPO BDP-105 (thank you Substance!) with an AC3RF demodulator. Amp is only used for 5.1 amplification and can be replaced anytime.

Lumagen has a very, very good reputation for scaling and customization capabilities.

Check.

I also probed friends working in the home-theater/video events business and the feedback was "You can't go wrong with Lumagen".

So in the end the 2144 cleared all the boxes and I'm using about half the connectors, still room for more HDMI in and a few more analog devices. It's not cheap in price by any mean, but I considered I would use it for the next 10~15 years or so.Now if you get the $3,000 discounted unit and calculate how much that's going to cost you, that's only $17~$25/month.

Ask yourself if your LD/MUSE/CED/VHD/VHS/old gaming console/old computers/etc. collection is worth to you, how long you expect to enjoy them with the best picture quality you can get on retail and make a decision.

+ Google around for reviews on Lumagen products and services, it's overwhelmingly positive.

My first 2144 had an issue and Lumagen promptly got the old unit back and shipped replacement, zero problem after that.The unit comes with a fan but, even in a warmer environment like Singapore, I never noticed it running. Dead quiet.

Now, substance, how about unlocking the Closed-Caption capability of the Radiance? Should we start a fundraising to "purchase" the development from Lumagen?

This is an interesting thread for me. I've got a laserdisc collection that easily justifies the spend since I own 10,000 laserdiscs -so probably the largest collection in the world at the moment. I also own an HLD-X9 LD player so that isn't an issue in terms of having a decent source player to play these laserdiscs on. So why am I still sitting on the fence undecided?

Well the Lumagen Radiance 2144 is just another piece of electronic hardware and hardware can fail. I don't doubt Lumagen as a company would do everything they possibly could to try and keep me happy if it did fail, but can they really repair this device in 10 or especially 15 years time if they don't even make them now?

Also would they even have anything remotely comparable to offer in its place if they couldn't repair it? I doubt it given they appear to have abandoned all development of video processors for analogue sources or if they haven't soon will.

A lot of you guys have small analogue collections if truth be told. I've also seen more people come and go on this forum than snow off a ditch over the last 10 years. One minute some guy can't wait to buy all the MUSE titles ever released, the next he's selling the lot. So my point is this do I go on the advice of someone like that who switches technology more often than I change my TV channels or do I trust my own gut instinct.

I'm in it for the long haul. There's no turning back when you've as many discs as I have! It isn't about the quantity though, its about the fact I love music on laserdisc so again my emphasis is primarily the sound with the bonus of having some video to watch - not the other way around. I'm also very happy with the picture quality I get at the moment even from some of my more basic LD players and I'm not using any fancy video processors at all, just built-in scaling in the DVD player and AV Receiver. I also only use 2 speakers since that's pretty much all you need if you want to listen to music.

So you see my dilemma.

Last edited by laserdisc_fan on 25 Feb 2018, 16:42, edited 1 time in total.

Lumagen occasionally gets trade-in units from the existing users who upgraded to Radiance Pro 4x4x units. These units go through a functionality check and gets 12 months factory warranty. If you don’t mind a refurbished unit, you can still get a 2144 with factory warranty. The catch is due to heavy demand these units are priced at $3495. Availability is sporadical.

Also, those who bought any Lumagen products (brand new or used) can upgrade to Radiance Pro 4x4x with a significant trade-in credit if you chose turn-in your existing Lumagen product. They sometimes allow none-Lumagen products as trade-in but depends on case by case on those.

Once you own a Lumagen product, you are likely to upgrade to the newer version. Lumagen’s trade-in offers are typically better than the used resale value. That’s why you rarely see any of the newer Lumagen products for sale on the used market.

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